Immigrant advocacy groups say the process asylum seekers must go through to work in the United States is unrealistic and unfair. Now they're suing the federal government, including the Executive Office for Immigration Review, the agency that oversees the immigration courts.
Right now, asylum seekers can start working in the United States 180 days after they file an application for their case to be heard in court. It's called the asylum clock, and each time the applicant causes a delay, the clock stops.
Emily Creighton is with the American Immigration Council, an immigration lawyer advocacy group.
“What we’re challenging are stops where the applicant really has caused no delay,” she said.
The lawsuit alleges that sometimes the court causes a delay especially when the immigrant wins an appeal and the hearing process starts all over again.
One of the defendants in the case is Citizenship and Immigration Services. Federal officials said they could not comment on the pending suit.
